NFL Preseason Week 2: Blowouts, shutouts and young players make their mark
The San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys delivered some of the biggest wins of NFL Preseason Week 2, while several defenses took over games as all 32 teams continued working through roster decisions ahead of the regular season.
Raiders edge Texans
The Las Vegas Raiders opened the week by squeezing past the Houston Texans 22-20 in Houston, improving to 1-1 while dropping the Texans to 0-2.
The San Francisco 49ers produced the week’s highest-scoring performance, rolling past the Los Angeles Chargers 41-17 at SoFi Stadium. Rookie De’Zhaun Stribling continued his strong preseason for San Francisco, which bounced back from its Week 1 loss to even its record at 1-1.
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Jets defense shuts down Pittsburgh
The New York Jets handed the Pittsburgh Steelers a 17-0 shutout at Acrisure Stadium, intercepting Will Howard twice as both teams moved to 1-1.
The Carolina Panthers improved to 2-1 with a convincing 34-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Green Bay Packers went into Denver and beat the Broncos 33-13.
The Detroit Lions edged the Washington Commanders 17-13, and the Buffalo Bills remained unbeaten in the preseason with a 31-7 rout of the Cleveland Browns.
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Rams roll to shutout
Defense dominated several other matchups. The Baltimore Ravens moved to 2-0 by holding the Minnesota Vikings to a field goal in a 13-3 victory.
The Los Angeles Rams were even more emphatic, blanking the New Orleans Saints 34-0 at SoFi Stadium. Alex Cook supplied one of the weekend’s biggest defensive plays with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The New York Giants also shut down the Miami Dolphins, cruising to a 26-3 victory, while the Atlanta Falcons hammered the Indianapolis Colts 34-6.
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Bengals and Patriots keep winning
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 2-0 by beating the Chicago Bears 27-9. The New England Patriots remained unbeaten as well, edging the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers slipped past the Kansas City Chiefs 16-15, with Harrison Butker connecting on a 69-yard field goal for Kansas City.
The Dallas Cowboys moved to 2-0 with a 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, while the Tennessee Titans closed the week by edging the Seattle Seahawks 19-16 to remain unbeaten through two preseason games.
